detachment

noun

di-ˈtach-mənt How to pronounce detachment (audio)
Definition of detachmentnext
1
as in objectivity
lack of favoritism toward one side or another the judge showed commendable detachment when deciding the controversial case

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2
as in patrol
a small military unit with a special task or function the general sent a detachment ahead to scout the enemy's position

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3
as in coldness
the absence of emotional involvement his detachment allowed him a clearer perspective on the child custody case

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detachment His wife watches and listens with obvious fondness in her eyes but also an inscrutable hint of emotional detachment, perhaps even irritation. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Whether through psychological detachment, restorative activities like sauna, or adequate sleep, recovery protects the capacities leaders need to operate effectively. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Apple’s gyrations are the latest demonstration of the stock’s increasing detachment from the broader market. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 In the book’s arc, this lands as a chilling dismissal, and a reminder of the magnitude of Bret’s increasingly psychotic concern over Robert Mallory and the Trawler, and his detachment from his own life. — Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detachment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detachment
  1. objectivity
  2. patrol
  3. coldness
  4. neutrality
  5. battalion
  6. dispassion
  7. neutralism
  8. squadron
Noun
  • But the murkiness doesn’t last long in a production that achieves an admirable balance between objectivity and emotion, abstraction and representation.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Fielder and Oppenheim have created a fascinating portrait of a relationship, decimating notions of objectivity in documentary while also interrogating the limits of fiction.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of objectivity
Noun
  • Two Dominican Republic Navy patrol boats arrived to help offload the people from the sinking vessel, the Coast Guard said.
    — David Goodhue October 6, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Four officers from the traffic unit were moved into vacant positions in regular patrol and investigative units, and their former positions in traffic were eliminated.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of patrol
Noun
  • The house was a metaphor for the coldness of a relationship that’s faded and atrophied.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The danger occurs if that ruthlessness veers into institutional coldness.
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of coldness
Noun
  • Fox News Digital asked Martin whether that level of support undermined Ireland's neutrality.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This initiative is a key step toward reaching full carbon neutrality across its vehicles, factories, and supply chain no later than 2050.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of neutrality
Noun
  • Allison Fluke-Ekren, a former Kansas resident who had already organized an Islamic State group women’s center in Raqqa, became the battalion’s leader and organizer.
    — Sara Harmouch, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • By storing blood in two battalion chief vehicles, paramedics are able to begin transfusions at the scene of a severe bleeding emergency instead of having to wait until the victim arrives at a hospital.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of battalion
Noun
  • The original medical examiner is dead, so the replacement, Lisa Gavin, examined slides of Shakur’s bloated cadaver with the dispassion of a science teacher dissecting a frog.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Eliot loved hearing Claire talk about people, her combination of warmth and dispassion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
Definition of dispassion
Noun
  • India, an avatar of forceful neutralism early on, saw its influence diminished by regional conflict and domestic troubles.
    — Erez Manela, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
  • Globalizing impulses helped bring about a flourishing of neutralism.
    — Leo Robson, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2016
Definition of neutralism
Noun
  • As the industrial age took hold, geometry continued to show force in the colonial infantries abroad and through isomorphic police squadrons that fit neatly into modernizing city blocks patrolled back home.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, American soldier Lou (Boyd Holbrook) and his squadron exchange fire with unseen enemy combatants.
    — Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of squadron

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Cite this Entry

“Detachment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detachment. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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